Process of extracting oil.



Patented luly l5, I902.

' LA FAYETTE D. VUBCE.

PROCESS OF EXT-BAGTING OIL.v

(Application filed. Oct. 29, 1900.)

(No Modl.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE.

LA FAYETTE DENTON VORCE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PROCESS OF IEXTRACTING OIL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 704,989, dated July15, 1902..

Application filed October 29, 1900. Serial No. 34.688. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LAFAYETTE DENTON VOROE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processesof Extracting Soluble Matters and Recovering the Solvent Therefrom; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to the process of extracting oils and otherextractive matters from seeds and other substances by the use ofsolvents and the recovery of the solvent from the extracted matter.

The object of the invention is to increase the economy and efficiency ofthe process heretofore in use; and it consists in the novel steps andmode of procedure, as hereinafter fully described, and specifically setforth in the claims. y

In the process in use for extracting oils,

doc, by use the use of solvents prior to my in the ground seed or othermaterial and with swinging doors at the bottom for discharging the spentresiduum. When the percolator has been'filled and tightly closed, thesolvent, which is usually some light hydrocarbon, such as gasolene orbenzin, (although bis'ulfid of carbon has also been used,) is pumpedinto the percolator, so as to saturate the material therewith. Thesolvent is in some cases left to'macerate for a time, and the solutionis then drawn off and fresh solvent added successively until all theextractive matter is dissolved out, and in other cases the solvent isrun through continuously, and the solution is either received in astoragetank or conducted to a second percolator and passed through afresh charge of material,

thus becoming further enriched with the extractive matter. In anycase inthe process is forced into the containing-chamber, whereby the solventis vaporized and together with the steam carried from the percolatorthrough a suitable vapor-pipe, terminating in a condenser, in which thesteam and solvent are condensed the latent heat of bot-l1 steam andsolvent being taken up by water circulating around the condensing pipes.The recovery of the oil or other extracted matter from the solvent so asto reclaim the latter for use over again has been effected by subjectingthe solution to distillation by the use of steam heat in various formsof apparatus.

In'the above-described operation of steaming out the residual solventfrom the exhausted material in thepercolator and recovering the solventthus driven out by condensation a very large amount of heat has beenlost, as the steaming out has to be continued for a considerable time,often several hours, and a very large amount of highly-heated steam hasto be used to secure the complete elimination of all traces of thesolvent from the exhausted material, which is essential.

My process is devised to utilize the latent heat of the steam andnaphtha vapor during the operation of steamingout the residualnaphthafrom the exhausted material for separating the solvent from theextracted oil, which separation has been prior to my invention anentirely distinct and separate operation from the process of steamingout and usually carried out at a different time.

My invention is not dependent upon any special form of apparatus, and myimproved process can be carried out by means of various forms ofapparatus. Also it is immaterial to my process whether the extraction becarried on in one or more percolators separately or in two, three, ormore percolators connected in series. The apparatus illustrateddiagrammatically in the accompanying drawings has been found efficientin practical work for the carrying out of my improved process. I

Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section showing the arrangement ofthe percolator and the separator. Fig. 2 is a vertical transversesection through the separator, showing the preferred arrangement ofpipes. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of one of the pipes E, showing moreclearly the perforations therein for the escape of the oily solution.

A represents a percolator or macerator (or a series of them) of anysuitable construction, in which the action of the solvent upon thematerial is carried on by any of the wellknown methods and which iscommonly provided with a manhole having a tight cover ct, with one ormore doors a for discharging the spent material, with a solvent-inletpipe a with an eduction-pipe a for cond ucting away the solutioncontaining the extracted matters, and with any suitable or preferredsteaminlet pipes, as a for intromitting steam into the mass of exhaustedmaterial in the percolator.

B represents a vapor-offtake pipe, through which the steam and vaporizedsolvent pass from the percolator A to a separating apparatus D,comprising a closed chamber D in the upper part of which are a number ofpipes E, which communicate with a vat or chamber, as F, from which theyare supplied with the solution of solvent and extracted matter, whichmay be pumped from the receiving-tank S to which the solution from thepercolators is conducted. The pipes E are closed at their ends it andare slotted or perforated on their upper side and placed horizontally,so that the mixture of solvent and extracted matter will fill them fortheir for removing the naptha vapors.

entire length and then overflow uniformly and drip down upon a series ofpipes J, which are arranged in vertical lines beneath and through whichthe steam and vaporized solvent escaping from the percolators by theofftake B are caused to pass, heating the solution and vaporizing thesolvent, which escapes in the form of vapor from the chamber D by anoutlet, as K. In the particular form of separator shown the centralchamber D is separated by partitions G G from a series of chambers C O C0 &c., which occupy the ends of the separator and are separated fromeach other by partitions c c 0 0 which extend from the partitions G G tothe end walls of the separator D. The offtake I3 enters one of thechambers, as O. The pipes J are open at both ends and extend throughboth partition-plates G and G, so that the steam and naphtha vaporsentering chamber 0 from the vapor-pipe B may pass unrestrained throughchambers O C G C C successively and in passing give up their latent heatto the mixture of solvent and oil which is flowing over the outside ofthe pipes, thereby vaporizingthe volatile solvent, which, rising, passesout of the chamber D through the outlet K into any suitable condensingapparatus (indicated by O) with or without the assistance of avacuum-pump. In the meantime the oil or other extracted matter, freed inpart or wholly from the solvent, passes down to the bottom of chamber Dand is drawn off from the bottom thereof through pipe L by gravity incase no vacuum-pump is used for the eduction of the volatilized solventand by means of a suction-pump if a vacuum-pump is used The steam andnaphtha vapors passing from pipe B through the apparatus to the chamber0 in giving up their boat to the solution flowing over the pipes Jbecome partially or wholly condensed and then pass, partly or whollycondensed, from the chamber 0 through the pipe M either to an auxiliarycondenser or, if wholly condensed, to a separating-tank, from which thesolvent is pumped back to a storage-tank or other receptacle for furtheruse in extracting, and the condensed steam is either allowed to flowaway or is used forany available purpose, as for boiler-feed water, &c.I

The volatilizing chamber may be constructed of any suitable material,but I have found cast-iron the best material for the walls anddivision-plates and copper the best material for the tubes J, and Iprefer to so construct the chamber that the steam and naphtha vaporshall pass several times back and forth under the pipes E, thus givingthe solvent and oil more time to pass from the top of the apparatus tothe bottom than if the steam and naphtha vapor made but few passes fromone end to the other.

Where operations are conducted upon a large scale, the amount of oilysolution to be treated is ordinarily too great to be completely freedfrom the solvent by the hot vapors produced in the steaming out of theresidual meal or other material, and an additional quantity of steam hasto be used direct from the boilers or from a superheater to effect thecompleteand perfect elimination of the last traces of solvent from thesolution in the same manner that the entire separation has beenheretofore performed. This final treatment may be conveniently performedby conducting the partially-separated solution which flows from theoutlet L of the separator D to a closed tank, as T, Fig. 1, which isprovided with a steam-coil 25, through which steam is passed to heat thesolution sufficiently to drive off the last traces of the solvent, thevaporized solvent passing away through the outlet 1) to a condenser.

The process above described is applicable to the extraction of oil fromseeds or any other oil-bearing substances-such as tankage, garbage,offal, wool, and waste-and to the extraction of other extractive matterssuch as essential oils from vegetable matters,

IIO

&c.; but the use to which I have applied it is Having fully described myinvention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. The process of extracting and recovering soluble matters frommaterial containing the same, which consists in subjecting the materialin a closed extraction-chamber to the action of a volatile solvent,educting the solution thus obtained and subsequently passing it into avolatilizing-chamber, then passing into the exhausted material in theextractionchamber a volatilizing agent, such as steam, and volatilizingthe residual solvent left in the material, conducting said heating agentand vapor into the volatilizing-chamber and there utilizing their heatto volatilize more or less of said solvent from said solution, andconducting said partially-condensed vapors thence to a condenser orseparator.

2. The process of extracting and recovering soluble matters frommaterial containing the same, which consists in subjecting the materialin a closed extraction-chamber to the action of a volatile solvent,educting the solution thus obtained, then passing into the exhaustedmaterial in the extraction-chambera heated volatilizing agent, such assteam, and

volatilizing the residual solvent in the mass, conducting the heatingagent and vaporized solvent into a volatilizing-chamber and heating thesame thereby, conducting the solution of solvent and extracted matterinto the volatilizing-chamber and there exposing it to the heat of saidvaporized solvent and heating agent, whereby more or less of the solventis volatilized from said solution and said heating-vapors are partiallyor wholly condensed, and conducting said partially-condensed vapors to acondenser or separator.

3. The process of extracting and recovering soluble matters frommaterial containing the same, which consists in subjecting the materialin a closed extraction-chamber to the action of a volatile solvent,educting the solution thus obtained and then passing into the exhaustedmaterial in the extraction-chamber a heated volatilizing agent, such assteam, and volatilizing the residual solvent left in the material,conducting said heating agent and vapors into a volatilizing-chamberthrough closed pipes, passing the educted solution into thevolatilizing-chamber and causing the same to therein flow in thin layersover the pipes containing the heating agent and vapors, thereby more orless completely volatilizing the solvent from said solution andpartially or completely condensing said heating agent and vapors, andconducting said partially=condensed vapors to a condenser or separator.

4E. The process of extracting and recovering soluble matters frommaterial containing the same, which consists in subjecting the materialin a closed extraction-chamber to the action of a volatile solvent,educting the solu tion thus obtained and subsequently passing it into avolatilizing=chamber, then passing into the exhausted material in theextractionchamber a volatilizing agent, such as steam, hot air, gas orother heating agent and volatilizing the residual solvent left in thematerial, conducting said heating agent and vapors into thevolatilizingchamber and there utilizing their heat to volatilize more orless of said solvent from said solution, conducting saidpartially-condensed vapors thence to a condenser or separator, and thencompleting the volatilization of the solvent from the solution by theapplication of heat from a different source.

5. The process of extracting and recovering soluble matters frommaterial containing the same, which consists in subjecting the materialin a closed extraction-chamber to the ac tion of a volatile solvent,educting the solution thus obtained, then passing into the eX- haustedmaterial in the extraction-chamber a heated volatilizing agent, such assteam, and volatilizing the residual solventvin the mass, conducting theheating agent and vaporized solvent into a volatilizing-chamber andheating the same thereby, conducting the solution of solvent and.extracted matter into the volatilizing-chamber and there exposing it tothe heat of said vaporized solvent and heating agent, whereby more orless of the solvent is volatilized from said solution and saidheating-vapors are partially or wholly condensed, conducting saidpartially condensed vapors to a condenser or separator, and thencompleting the volatilizing of the solvent from the solution by theapplication of heat from another source.

6. The process of extracting and recovering soluble matters frommaterial containing the same, which consists in subjecting the materialin a closed extraction-chamber to the action of a volatile solvent,educting the solution thus obtained and then passing into the exhaustedmaterial in the extraction-chamber a heated volatilizing agent, such assteam, and volatilizing the residual solvent left in the material,conducting said heating agent and vapors into a volatilizing chamberthrough closed pipes, passing the educted solution into thevolatilizing-chamber and causing the same to therein flow in thin layersover the pipes containing the heating agent and vapors, thereby more orless completely volatilizing the solvent from said solution andpartially or completely condensing said heating agent and vapors,conducting said partially-condensed vapors to a condenser or separator,and then completing the volatilization of the solvent from the solutionby the application thereto of heat from a different source.

In testimony whereof I hereto affix my sig nature in presence of twowitnesses.

LA FAYETTE DENTON VORCE Nitnesses:

JNo. T. DE MILLE, WILLIAM IRWIN.

